Method and apparatus for synchronizing, displaying and manipulating text and image documents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for extracting, synchronizing, displaying, and manipulating text and image documents in electronic form for display. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, text and image files for documents, such as for example patent documents, are initially stored on separate magnetic tape media. These data files are extracted from the respective tapes and placed onto a faster medium, such as a hard disk drive. The text and image files are synchronized to produce Equivalent Files using heuristic algorithms to create an approximate equivalence relationship between the text and the image files. The Equivalent Files and image files residing on, for example, a hard disk drive or compact disk (CD), are coupled as a resource to a computer display system. The graphic user interface of the present invention permits the user to display, manipulate, and edit the Equivalent File created using the process of the present invention, and to simultaneously view the image file on the display. Using the graphic user interface of the present invention, a user may create libraries of patent Equivalent Files and image files or documents of another type, as well as open cases to include a plurality of different patents or other documents. The Equivalent File may be selectively viewed on the display in an equivalent window. Simultaneous with the viewing of the Equivalent File within the equivalent window, the user may view any portion of an image file within one or more image windows on the display. A variety of other features and functions are provided by the present invention for the manipulation and display of patent documents and other documents on the user interface.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer controlled display system including at least one central processing unit (CPU), said CPU coupled to a display for displaying a patent document and a patent image on said display, comprising: (1) storage means coupled to said CPU for storing at least one patent document comprised of an equivalent text file, and at least one patent image document comprised of a patent image file, said equivalent text file including linking information that links at least one portion of said equivalent text file to at least one portion of said patent image file, said equivalent text file also including equivalency information detailing an equivalency relationship between said patent image file and a corresponding patent text file, said equivalency information comprising at least one of (A) special character information specifying at least one mapping of a group of characters in said patent text file to a special character in said patent image file, and   (B) graphical item location information specifying locations in said patent image file of graphical items referred to in said patent text file, said graphical items including any combination of figures, figure elements, equations, non-text tables, structures and diagrams, said patent image file being a data file having stored therein one or more image pages from a patent, each of said image pages being an electronic image of a page of said patent or a page of a document related to said patent, wherein said image pages are stored in a compressed format, said patent text file being a data file having stored therein ASCII text data representing at least a portion of textual data in said patent, including patent bibliography information and patent text paragraphs; and       (2) a user interface generated by said CPU for display by display means, said user interface selectively displaying said equivalent text file and said patent image file on said display, such that said equivalent text file is displayed in a first window and said patent image file is displayed in a second window and both of said windows may be selectively viewed simultaneously on said display.   
     
     
       2. The display system as defined by claim 1 wherein said first window is an equivalent text window, and said second window is an image window. 
     
     
       3. The display system as defined by claim 2 further including text toolbox means coupled to said CPU and to said user interface for providing a first plurality of functions for operating on said equivalent text file of said patent document. 
     
     
       4. The display system as defined by claim 3 further including image toolbox means coupled to said CPU and to said user interface for providing a second plurality of functions for operating on said patent image file in said image window. 
     
     
       5. The display system as defined by claim 4 further including synchronization means coupled to said CPU for selectively viewing said equivalent text file of said patent document and said patent image file in a synchronized display. 
     
     
       6. The display system as defined by claim 5 wherein said storage means stores multiple equivalent text files and multiple patent image files. 
     
     
       7. The display system as defined by claim 6 wherein a user may define a case including a plurality of said multiple equivalent text files and corresponding multiple patent image files. 
     
     
       8. The display system as defined by claim 6 wherein upon selection by said user, said user interface displays multiple equivalent text files in multiple equivalent text windows simultaneously on said display. 
     
     
       9. The display system as defined by claim 8 wherein upon selection by said user, said user interface selectively displays multiple patent image files in multiple image windows simultaneously, on said display. 
     
     
       10. The display system as defined by claim 5 wherein said synchronization means includes column information to synchronize said equivalent text file to said patent image file. 
     
     
       11. The display system as defined by claim 10 wherein said equivalent text window includes column increment/decrement means for selectively incrementing and decrementing columns of said equivalent text file displayed on said display. 
     
     
       12. The display system as defined by claim 11 wherein said user interface display a Patent Text Toolbox window, said Patent Text Toolbox window including: highlight selection means for selecting one of a plurality of highlight colors;   patent section navigation means for selecting a section of said equivalent text file, said selection of said section resulting in said CPU displaying said section of said equivalent text file in said equivalent text window.   
     
     
       13. The display system as defined by claim 4 wherein said image toolbox means includes a rotation function for rotating said patent image file displayed in said image window. 
     
     
       14. The display system as defined by claim 13 wherein said image toolbox means include a select element number function or displaying a portion of an equivalent text file associated with a select element number. 
     
     
       15. The display system as defined by claim 14 wherein said select element number function includes activating an icon for displaying an select element number window, inputting said select element number, activating a find-in-text icon and displaying said portion of said equivalent text file beginning at a first occurrence of said select element number. 
     
     
       16. The display system as defined by claim 4 further including image enlargement means for enlarging a portion of said patent image file displayed in said image window. 
     
     
       17. The display system as defined by claim 16 wherein said image enlargement means include outlining a box around a portion of said patent image file displayed in said image window, enlarging said portion of said patent image file disposed within said box, and displaying said enlarged image of said portion of said patent image file in said image window. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 1, wherein said equivalency information comprises at least one of elements (1)(A), (1)(B), and (C) bibliographic formatting information specifying an approximate arrangement of bibliographic data contained in said patent text file as displayed in bibliographic page images in said patent image file. 
     
     
       19. A display method for displaying a patent document and a patent image, comprising the steps of: (1) storing at least one patent document comprised of an equivalent text file, and at least one patent image document comprised of a patent image file, said equivalent text file including linking information that links at least one portion of said equivalent text file to at least one portion of said patent image file, said equivalent text file also including equivalency information detailing an equivalency relationship between said patent image file and a corresponding patent text file, said equivalency information comprising at least one of (A) special character information specifying at least one mapping of a group of characters in said patent text file to a special character in said patent image file, and   (B) graphical item location information specifying locations in said patent image file of graphical items referred to in said patent text file, said graphical items including any combination of figures, figure elements, equations, non-text tables, structures and diagrams, said patent image file being a data file having stored therein one or more image pages from a patent, each of said image pages being an electronic image of a page of said patent or a page of a document related to said patent, wherein said image pages are stored in a compressed format, said patent text file being a data file having stored therein ASCII text data representing at least a portion of textual data in said patent, including patent bibliography information and patent text paragraphs;       (2) generating a user interlace for display on a display; and   (3) selectively displaying said equivalent text file and said patent image file on said display, such that said equivalent text file is displayed in a first window and said patent image file is displayed in a second window and both of said windows may be selectively viewed simultaneously on said display.   
     
     
       20. The display method as defined by claim 19 wherein said first window is an equivalent text window, and said second window is an image window. 
     
     
       21. The display method as defined by claim 20 further including the step of providing a first plurality of functions for operating on said equivalent text file of said patent document. 
     
     
       22. The display method as defined by claim 21 further including the step of providing a second plurality of functions for operating on said patent image file in said image window using image toolbox means. 
     
     
       23. The display method as defined by claim 22 further including the step of synchronizing and selectively viewing said equivalent text file of said patent document and said patent image file in a synchronized display, such that said equivalent text file is synchronized to said patent image file. 
     
     
       24. The display method as defined by claim 23 wherein multiple equivalent text files and multiple patent image files are stored. 
     
     
       25. The display method as defined by claim 24 wherein a user may define case including a plurality of said multiple equivalent text files and corresponding multiple patent image files. 
     
     
       26. The display method as defined by claim 24 wherein upon selection by said user, said user interface displays multiple equivalent text files in multiple equivalent text windows simultaneously on said display. 
     
     
       27. The display method as defined by claim 26 wherein upon selection by said user, said user interface selectively displays multiple patent image files in multiple image windows simultaneously on said display. 
     
     
       28. The display method as defined by claim 23 wherein said synchronizing step provides column information to synchronize said equivalent text file to said patent image file. 
     
     
       29. The display method as defined by claim 28 further including the step of selectively incrementing and decrementing columns of said equivalent text file display on said display. 
     
     
       30. The display method as defined by claim 29 further including the step of said user interface displaying a Patent Text Toolbox window, said Patent Text Toolbox window including: highlight selection means for selecting one of a plurality of highlight colors;   patent section navigation means for selecting a section of said equivalent text file, said selection of said section resulting in said CPU displaying said section of said equivalent text file in said equivalent text window.   
     
     
       31. The display method as defined by claim 22 further including the step of rotating said patent image file displayed in said image window. 
     
     
       32. The display method as defined by claim 31 further including the step of displaying a portion of an equivalent text file associated with a select element number. 
     
     
       33. The display method as defined by claim 32 wherein the step of displaying said portion of said equivalent text file associated with said select element number includes the steps of activating an icon for displaying a select element number window, inputting said select element number, activating a find-in-text icon and displaying said portion of said equivalent text file beginning at a first occurrence of said select element number. 
     
     
       34. The display method as defined by claim 22 further including the step of enlarging a portion of said patent image file displayed in said image window. 
     
     
       35. The display method as defined by claim 34 wherein the step of enlarging said portion of said patent image file include the steps of outlining a box around a portion of said patent image file displayed in said image window, enlarging said portion of said patent image file disposed said box, and displaying said enlarged image of said portion of said patent image file in said image window. 
     
     
       36. The display method of claim 19, wherein said equivalency information comprises at least one of elements (1)(A), (1)(B), and (C) bibliographic formatting information specifying an approximate arrangement of bibliographic data contained in said patent test file as displayed in bibliographic page images in said patent image file. 
     
     
       37. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer system to display a patent document and a patent image on a display, said computer program logic comprising: (1) storage access means for enabling said CPU to access from a storage device at least one patent document comprised of an equivalent text file, and at least one patent image document comprised of a patent image file, said equivalent text file including linking information that links at least one portion of said equivalent text file to at least one portion of said patent image file, said equivalent text file also including equivalency information detailing an equivalency relationship between said patent image file and a corresponding patent text file, said equivalency information comprising at least one of (A) special character information specifying at least one mapping of a group of characters in said patent text file to a special character in said patent image file, and   (B) graphical item location information specifying locations in said patent image file of graphical items referred to in said patent text file, said graphical items including any combination of figures, figure elements, equations, non-text tables, structures and diagrams, said patent image file being a data file having stored therein one or more image pages from a patent, each of said images pages being an electronic image of a page of said patent or a page of a document related to said patent, wherein said image pages are stored in a compressed format, said patent text file being a data file having stored therein ASCII text data representing at least a portion of textual data in said patent, including patent bibliography information and patent text paragraphs; and       (2) user interface means for enabling said CPU to generate a user interface for display on said display, said user interface selectively displaying said equivalent text file and said patent image file on said display.   
     
     
       38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said equivalent text file has the same pagination as said patent image file. 
     
     
       39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein line breaks are the same in said equivalent text file and said patent image file. 
     
     
       40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein column breaks are the same in said equivalent text file and said patent image file. 
     
     
       41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein page breaks are the same in said equivalent text file and said patent image file. 
     
     
       42. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said user interface means enables said CPU to selectively display said equivalent text file and said patent image file in one of a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. 
     
     
       43. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said user interface means comprises: text displaying means for enabling said CPU to display portions of said equivalent text file in a first window;   synchronous mode command receiving means for enabling said CPU to receive from a user a synchronous mode command identifying one of said portions of said equivalent text file; and   image displaying means, responsive to said synchronous mode command receiving means, for enabling said CPU to display portions of said patent image file in a second window, said patent image file portions including one that corresponds to said identified portion of said equivalent text file.   
     
     
       44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein said text displayed means comprises means for enabling said CPU to display an icon next to each portion of said equivalent text file displayed in said first window; and wherein said synchronous mode command receiving means comprises means for enabling said CPU to enable the user to select one of said icons to thereby select a portion of said equivalent text file.   
     
     
       45. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said user interface comprises: text displaying means for enabling said CPU to display portions of said equivalent text file in a first window, said equivalent text file portions including references to figures contained in said patent image file;   asynchronous mode command receiving means for enabling said CPU to receive from a user an asynchronous mode command identifying one of the figures contained in said patent image file; and   image displaying means, responsive to said asynchronous mode command receiving means, for enabling said CPU to display said identified figure from said patent image file in a second window.   
     
     
       46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein said asynchronous mode command receiving means comprises: means for enabling said CPU to receive from the user a command identifying a location in said equivalent text file; and   means for enabling said CPU to search in said equivalent text file starting from said identified location until one of said figure references is located;   wherein said image displaying means comprises means for enabling said CPU to display in said second window a figure from said patent image file identified by said located figure reference.   
     
     
       47. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said user interface comprises: means for enabling said CPU to synchronously display a first portion of said equivalent text file in a first window and a first portion of said patent image file in a second window; and   means for enabling said CPU to asynchronously display a second portion of said equivalent text file in a third window and a first portion of said patent image file in a fourth window.   
     
     
       48. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said user interface comprises: means for enabling said CPU to synchronously display a portion of said equivalent text file in said first window and a first portion of said patent image file in said second window; and   means for enabling said CPU to display a second portion of said patent image file in a third window in an asynchronous mode with respect to said portion of said equivalent text file displayed in said first window.   
     
     
       49. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said document related to said patent comprises a post issuance document related to said patent. 
     
     
       50. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein said user interface comprises: means for enabling said processor to selectively display said patent and said post issuance document in response to commands from a user.   
     
     
       51. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said equivalency information comprises at least one of elements (1)(A), (1)(B), and (C) bibliographic formatting information specifying an approximate arrangement of bibliographic data contained in said patent text file as displayed in bibliographic page images in said patent image file.